To provide an electronic device capable of preventing an enclosure from falling down without providing a stand and also improving heat dissipation of the enclosure. An electronic device (1) according to the present invention has a substrate (3) where a data storage unit (5) incorporating a storage medium is mounted, and a columned enclosure (2) for storing the substrate (3) in a standing posture, with an axial direction thereof directed to the vertical direction. The enclosure (2) has a pair of lateral walls (22, 23) opposite to the substrate (3) in the Y1-Y2 direction. The pair of lateral walls (22, 23) have a curved shape curved so that middle portions in the Z1-Z2 direction depart from the substrate (3) more than the respective both ends in the Z1-Z2 direction.
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1. An electronic device, comprising:
a substrate having a data storage unit mounted thereon, the data storage unit incorporating a storage medium; and
a columned enclosure for storing the substrate in a standing posture, the enclosure having an axial direction directed in a vertical direction and a pair of lateral walls opposite to the substrate in a thickness direction of the substrate,
wherein
when the axial direction of the enclosure is defined as a first direction, the thickness direction of the substrate is defined as a second direction, and a direction orthogonal to these directions is defined as a third direction, the pair of lateral walls has a curved shape curved so that middle portions in the third direction depart from the substrate in the second direction more than respective both ends in the third direction,
wherein the data storage unit is mounted on one side of the substrate in the second direction, and
the substrate is positioned offset to another side relative to a middle of the enclosure in the second direction.
2. The electronic device according to
3. The electronic device according to
4. The electronic device according to
5. The electronic device according to
6. The electronic device according to
the enclosure has a frame provided between peripheries of the pair of lateral walls and enclosing the substrate, and
a notch is formed on an outer surface of the enclosure, extending between the periphery and the frame along the periphery.
7. The electronic device according to
8. The electronic device according to
the enclosure has
a light transmissive member placed on one end portion thereof in the third direction, and
a light guide member inserted in an insertion hole formed on the light transmissive member, for introducing light from a light emitting device mounted on the substrate to the insertion hole.
9. The electronic device according to
a projected portion projecting from one end surface thereof in the third direction and having a curved surface formed on one side of the projected portion in the first direction so as to be continuous from the end surface, and
a button placed in an opening formed on the curved surface.
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The present application claims priority from Japanese application JP 2012-093206 filed on Apr. 16, 2012, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference into this application.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic device, and in particular, to improvement of functionality by the shape of the external appearance thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there has been known an electronic device having a rectangular box-shaped enclosure for storing a substrate having a hard disk drive (HDD) mounted thereon, the electronic device for use with the enclosure in a standing posture.
In order to prevent the enclosure from falling down, such an electronic device requires a stand wider than the thickness of the enclosure attached to the lower end of the enclosure. Further, because heat is generated by the HDD or other electronic components mounted on the substrate, it is necessary to improve heat dissipation of the enclosure.
The present invention aims to provide an electronic device capable of preventing the enclosure from falling down without providing a stand, and capable of improving heat dissipation of the enclosure.
In order to achieve the above described object, an electronic device according to the present invention includes a substrate having a data storage unit mounted thereon, the data storage unit incorporating a storage medium; and a columned enclosure for storing the substrate in a standing posture, the enclosure having an axial direction directed in a vertical direction. The enclosure has a pair of lateral walls opposite to the substrate in a thickness direction of the substrate. When the axial direction of the enclosure is defined as a first direction, the thickness direction of the substrate is defined as a second direction, and a direction orthogonal to these directions is defined as a third direction, the pair of lateral walls has a curved shape curved so that middle portions in the third direction depart from the substrate in the second direction more than respective both ends in the third direction.
According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the enclosure from falling down without providing a stand_by forming a pair of lateral walls in a curved shape. Further, as heat can readily convect in the space formed between the pair of lateral walls and the substrate, it is possible to improve heat dissipation of the enclosure.
An embodiment of an electronic device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The electronic device 1 is, for example, an electronic device that functions as a digital terrestrial TV tuner and a hard disk recorder. The electronic device 1 has a communication function for communicating via wired or radio with an external electronic device, such as, for example, a consumer game device or the like.
The electronic device 1 has an enclosure 2 in a substantially columned shape with the axial direction thereof directed in the up-down direction (vertical direction) and a substrate 3 stored in a standing posture in the enclosure 2. The enclosure 2 is molded from plastic material. Note here that a substantially columned shape refers to a shape of which cross sections orthogonal to the axial direction all have the substantially same shape and size, and are continuous in the axial direction. A horizontal cross section of the enclosure 2 has a spindle shape that is relatively bulky at the middle portion thereof in the front-back direction and becomes thinner as it goes toward the respective both ends thereof in the front-back direction. The substrate 3 is a circuit board having an electric circuit mounted on an insulating substrate, and stored in the enclosure 2 in a posture in which the longitudinal direction, width direction, and thickness direction thereof are directed in the front-back direction, up-down direction, and left-right direction, respectively.
The substrate 3 has a tuner unit 4, a data storage unit 5, and a semiconductor chip 6 all mounted thereon. The tuner unit 4 receives a broadcasting signal of a selected channel, and restores video data from the broadcasting signal through decoding. The tuner unit 4 includes a rectangular box-shaped main body 41 and input and output coaxial cable terminals 43, 45 extending rearward from the main body 41 to project out of the rear wall 28 of the enclosure 2.
The data storage unit 5 includes a storage device incorporating a storage medium, such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or the like, and stores video data. The data storage unit 5 is formed in a rectangular box shape, and mounted on the substrate 3 in a posture in which the longitudinal direction, width direction, and thickness direction thereof are directed in the up-down direction, front-back direction, and left-right direction, respectively. Note that the data storage unit 5 is not limited to an HDD, but may be, for example, a solid state drive (SSD) or the like.
The semiconductor chip 6 controls an operation of the electronic device 1. For example, the semiconductor chips 6 controls operations including one for sending video data generated by the tuner unit 4 to the data storage unit 5 and one for sending video data generated by the tuner unit 4 or stored in the data storage unit 5 to an external electronic device. The semiconductor chip 6 may have a heat sink.
The substrate 3 has a power port 71, a LAN (Local Area Network) port 72, and a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port 73 attached to the rear end portion thereof. The rear surface of the enclosure 2 constitutes an interface portion where the coaxial cable terminals 43, 45, the power port 71, the LAN port 72, and the USB port 73 are formed aligned in the up-down direction.
The substrate 3 further has a plurality of switches 74, 75 mounted thereon near the upper end of the rear end portion thereof. The switches 74, 75 are, for example, a reset switch and a power switch. A plurality of buttons 84, 85 corresponding to the respective switches 74, 75 are mounted on the rear surface of the enclosure 2. Positions of the buttons 84, 85 will be described later in detail.
The substrate 3 further has a plurality of light emitting devices 76 mounted on the front end portion thereof. Lighting of the respective light emitting devices 76 indicates, for example, a powered-on state, LAN access, HDD access, and so forth. A structure for introducing the light from each light emitting device 76 to an insertion hole 27a formed on the front wall 27 of the enclosure 2 so that the light can be visibly recognizable from outside will be described later in detail.
In the following, a detailed structure of the enclosure 2 will be described. The enclosure 2 has a lateral wall 22 positioned to the right of the substrate 3, a lateral wall 23 positioned to the left of the substrate 3, an upper wall 25 positioned above the substrate 3, a lower wall 26 positioned below the substrate 3, a front wall 27 positioned ahead of the substrate 3, and a rear wall 28 positioned behind the substrate 3. Of these, the lateral walls 22, 23 are positioned opposite to the respective surfaces of the substrate 3 in the standing posture so as to together sandwich the substrate 3. Further, the upper wall 25, the lower wall 26, the front wall 27, and the rear wall 28 are positioned along the peripheries of the substrate 3, constituting a rectangular frame 24 enclosing the substrate 3 in the front-back direction. Still further, the lateral wall 22, the upper wall 25, the lower wall 26, and the rear wall 28 are molded as an integral molded component, while the lateral wall 23 and the front wall 27 are formed as separate components removable with respect to the molded component.
The lateral walls 22, 23 have a curved shape of which middle portion in the front-back direction is curved outward in the left-right direction so as to depart from the substrate 3 more than the respective both end portions thereof in the front-back direction. Specifically, the lateral walls 22, 23 are positioned farthest from the substrate 3 at the middle of the enclosure 2 and the substrate 3 in the front-back direction (the position indicated by line VII-VII in
The front ends of the lateral walls 22, 23 are positioned more forward than the front end of the substrate 3, while the rear ends of the lateral walls 22, 23 are positioned more rearward than the rear end of the substrate 3 (see
The substrate 3 stored in the enclosure 2 is positioned offset to the right relative to the middle of the enclosure 2 in the left-right direction, and mounted on the right lateral wall 22 (see
Specifically, the right lateral wall 22 has a plurality of brackets 223 formed thereon projecting toward inside in the left-right direction and contacting the right surface of the substrate 3 (see
Further, a concave portion 22e is formed on the rear end portion of the right lateral wall 22, and a card insertion slot 22c is formed in the concave portion 22e so as to penetrate in the front-back direction (see
Of the tuner unit 4, the data storage unit 5, and the semiconductor chip 6 all mounted on the substrate 3, the data storage unit 5, having the largest occupied area, is positioned more forward than the middle of the substrate 3 in the front-back direction (the position indicated by the line VII-VII in
The substrate 3 is stored in the space defined by the right lateral wall 22 and the frame 24 (see
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
A light guide member 82 is mounted on the front wall 27 for introducing the light from the light emitting device 76 mounted on the front end portion of the substrate 3 to the insertion hole 27a formed on the light transmissive member 274. The columned front end portion 823 of the light guide member 82 is inserted into the insertion holes 27a, 27b formed on the front wall 27, and the rear end portion 825 thereof is bent into an L shape so as to be opposite to the light emitting device 76 mounted on the substrate 3. The light guide member 82 has a mount portion 827 for fitting with a projected portion 278 formed on the non-light transmissive member 271. The light incident from the light emitting device 76 into the rear end portion 825 is introduced into the front end portion 823 inserted in the insertion hole 27a, so that the light can be seen from outside through the light transmissive member 274. The light introduced into the insertion hole 27a appears round in the front view, and rectangular in the side view. As the non-light transmissive member 271 is formed convex so that the insertion hole 27a is positioned more forward than the rear end of the light transmissive member 274, the light having been introduced into the insertion hole 27a appears floating in the light transmissive member 274.
As shown in
Of the plurality of buttons 84, 85, it is relatively easy to press the button 84 at a lower position as the button 84 is positioned in an area on the curved surface 292 that has relatively moderate inclination relative to the rear wall 28. Thus, a button with relatively high frequency of use, for example, a reset button, is assigned to the lower button 84. Meanwhile, it is relatively difficult to press the button 85 at a higher position as the button 85 is positioned in an area on the curved surface 292 that has relatively sharp inclination relative to the rear wall 28. Thus, a button with a relatively low frequency of use, for example, a power button, is assigned to the upper button 85. According to this aspect, chances of erroneous pressing of a button can be reduced as a button with lower frequency of use is more difficult to be pressed.
According to the above-described embodiment, as each lateral wall 22, 23 of the enclosure 2 has a curved surface, it is possible to prevent the enclosure 2 from falling down without providing a stand. Specifically, setting the maximum interval between the lateral walls 22, 23 to, for example, twice or more as large as the total thickness of the substrate 3 and the data storage unit 5 makes it possible to prevent the enclosure 2 from falling down in the left-right direction. Note that the maximum interval between the lateral walls 22, 23 is desirably determined in consideration of prevention of the enclosure 2 from falling down. Further, as each lateral wall 22, 23 has a curved shape, the fulcrum of the enclosure 2 when falling down is defined at a point away from the middle in the left-right direction, and moreover, a point at which an external force is applied to the enclosure 2 is defined at a point away from the middle. This can produce a higher falling-down preventing effect than a conventional art using a stand. Further, when an external force in the left-right direction is applied at a point away from the middle of the enclosure 2 in the left-right direction, the external force is dissolved into an in-surface component and an out-surface component of the curved outer surface, and the out-surface component, which contributes to falling-down, is reduced. Moreover, as the direction of the out-surface component comes to be closer to the middle in the front-rear direction of the enclosure 2, a higher falling-down preventing effect can be achieved even when an external force in the left-right direction is applied to a point away from the middle in the front-rear direction of the enclosure 2.
As each lateral wall 22, 23 of the enclosure 2 has a curved shape, a relatively large space is ensured between the lateral wall 22, 23 and the substrate 3. As this space promotes heat convection, it is possible to improve heat dissipation of the enclosure 2. As the substrate 3 is stored in the standing posture in the enclosure 2 and the lateral walls 22, 23, opposite to the surfaces of the substrate 3, both contribute to heat dissipation, higher heat dissipation of the substrate 3 can be achieved than that with the substrate 3 in a lying posture. Further, as each lateral wall 22, 23 of the enclosure 2 has a curved shape, it is possible to prevent excessive heat concentration when a plurality of electronic devices 1 are used aligned in the left-right direction by ensuring an interval space between the respective substrates 3. Still further, as each lateral wall 22, 23 of the enclosure 2 has a curved shape, and it is thus difficult to pile two or more electronic devices 1 in the thickness direction of the substrate 3, it is possible to avoid a manner of use disadvantageous in view of heat dissipation.
In the above-described embodiment, the distance in the left-right direction between each lateral wall 22, 23 and the middle of the substrate 3 in the front-back direction is larger than the distance in the left-right direction between each lateral wall 22, 23 and the respective both end portions of the substrate 3 in the front-back direction. With the above, a larger space can be ensured around the middle portion of the substrate 3 in the front-back direction than the space around the respective both end portions.
In the above-described embodiment, the interval W2 between the front/rear ends of the lateral walls 22, 23 is smaller than the total thickness W3 of the substrate 3 and the data storage unit 5. This can reduce the size of the front and rear end portions of the enclosure 2 while preventing the enclosure 2 from falling down and improving heat dissipation at the middle portion of the enclosure 2 in the front-back direction.
In the above-described embodiment, the tuner unit 4 is mounted on the substrate 3; the tuner unit 4 and the data storage unit 5 are mounted on the left surface of the substrate 3; and the substrate 3 is positioned offset to the right relative to the middle of the enclosure 2 in the left-right direction. This makes it possible to place the data storage unit 5 in the vicinity of the middle of the enclosure 2 in the left-right direction.
In the above-described embodiment, the tuner unit 4 and the semiconductor chip 6 are mounted on the substrate 3; the data storage unit 5 is positioned more forward relative to the middle of the substrate 3 in the front-back direction; and the tuner unit 4 and the semiconductor chip 6 are positioned more rearward relative to the middle of the substrate 3 in the front-back direction. This makes it possible to place the semiconductor chip 6 with larger heat generation at the middle of the substrate 3 in the front-rear direction where a relatively large interval relative to each lateral wall 22, 23 is ensured as the data storage unit 5 is positioned more forward relative to the middle of the substrate 3 in the front-back direction.
In the above-described embodiment, the enclosure 2 has the frame 24 provided between the peripheries 221, 231 of a pair of lateral walls 22, 23, for enclosing the substrate 3, and the notches 22a, 23a are formed on the outer surface of the substrate 2 between the respective peripheries 221, 231 and the frame 24, extending along the respective peripheries 221, 231. With the above, although the lateral walls 22, 23 and the frame 24 are actually integral, the notches 22a, 23a formed between the respective lateral walls 22, 23 and the frame 23 make it possible to appear as if the lateral walls 22, 23 and the frame 24 were separate entities from each other, without increasing the number of components of the enclosure 2. In detail, although the right lateral wall 22 is formed integral to the upper wall 25, the lower wall 26, and the rear wall 28, the notch 22a formed along the periphery 221 makes it possible to appear as if the right lateral wall 22 were a separate entity, without actually forming the right lateral wall 22 as a separate entity.
Further, according to this aspect, each of the peripheries 221, 231 of a pair of lateral walls 22, 23 may have a tapered shape in which an inner surface 224, 234 in the left-right direction is inclined toward outside. This makes it possible to appear as if lateral walls 22, 23 thinner than as they actually are were mounted on the frame 24.
In the above-described embodiment, the enclosure 2 has the light transmissive member 274 positioned at the front end and the light guide member 82 inserted into the insertion hole 27a formed on the light transmissive member 274 for introducing the light from the light emitting device 76 mounted on the substrate 3 into the insertion hole. This makes it possible to introduce the light from the light emitting device 76 into the insertion hole 27a of the light transmissive member 274 so that the insertion hole 27a of the light transmissive member 274 can appear as if emitting light, even when the light emitting device 76 is positioned apart from the light transmissive member 274.
In the above-described embodiment, the enclosure 2 has the projected portion 29 projecting from the end surface 281 of the rear end portion and having the curved surface 292 formed on the lower part thereof so as to be continuous from the end surface 281, and the buttons 84, 85 positioned in the opening formed on the curved surface 292. With the above, the buttons 84, 85 positioned on the curved surface 292 can prevent erroneous pressing of the buttons 84, 85.
Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described in the above, the present invention is not limited to the above described embodiment, and various modified embodiments are achievable for a person skilled in the art.
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| Apr 12 2013 | Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. | (assignment on the face of the patent) | / | |||
| Sep 17 2014 | Sony Computer Entertainment Inc | Sony Corporation | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 033824 | /0540 | |
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